Expect long wait times for vehicles boarding a ferry, plan for heavy traffic

Dec 19, 2018

Photo by: Brandon GustafsonPlan ahead if you’re taking the ferry to Clinton for Christmas or New Year’s.

Hundreds of thousands of people will be dashing through the sound on a crowded state ferry over the next several days. People driving onto a vessel should plan for long wait times as many travelers head to or from their Christmas or New Year’s getaways.

Busiest travel times

The Saturdays prior to the Christmas Day and New Year’s Day holidays are expected to be the busiest. With Christmas falling on a Tuesday this year, many passengers are also likely to travel on the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday following the holiday. Delays are expected in both directions on several routes.

To reduce or eliminate wait times, customers may consider walking on the ferry or travelling early in the morning or late in the evening.

Expect schedule changes for the Mukilteo/Clinton route on Dec. 25 and Jan. 1.

Review the fall sailing schedule for best times to travel and holiday service.

People who travel the highways should plan ahead for potential backups and delays as they make their way to the ferry terminals with real-time traffic information on the WSDOT traffic app for their mobile device.